4.1 IAP Update Notes:

04/16/23

Updated all instrument approach charts with new logos and corrected headings for OM1 as north. Also removed all symbols for OMs and outposts, to try to future-proof the charts from more UI changes.

Removed the “Y” approach version from Orison, the “X” version from Teasa Spaceport, and the “Z” version from New Babbage. These were removed because of changes to distance scales in the game, quantum travel taking you to different positions from earlier patches, and other such changes.

Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP)

These are somewhat primitive since we’re pretty limited in navigation tech in the game right now, but these should be more or less accurate for those who want more of a flight sim experience.

These are called Quantum Beacon Approaches because they rely on having a spooled quantum drive, which allows you to see the waypoints.  Major landing zones in Stanton have up to three, designated QBA-X, Y or Z. They’re intended to tie into the arrivals depicted on the Terminal Area Charts for each location.

There are also two for each outpost that has landing pads, all called QBA-A and QBA-B. Some smaller outposts without landing pads have the B version of the approaches available. Additional versions of approaches to each outpost might be added in the future, and existing ones will be revised if and when more navigational capabilities are added to the game.

These are non-precision approaches.  Without getting too technical, that means they’re designed to get you to a point close enough to the spaceport to see it and proceed visually from there.   A precision approach would guide you right to the spaceport, but since the quantum beacon is not at the spaceport there’s no way to be more accurate. These approaches utilize the city’s quantum beacon, OMs, other planetary quantum markers, or combinations thereof to define waypoints while maintaining certain altitudes to avoid hitting obstacles on the ground.

For outposts, the quantum beacon is at the outpost itself.

Do you need these? No.  They’re really just thought experiments at this point, but I wanted to put them together to see what they might look like in the Star Citizen world, and who knows, at some point if and when weather is introduced they might be more practical.

For now these are only available for the Stanton system, since it doesn’t make sense lore-wise for these to be a thing in Pyro.

IAP Guide